Ask Ana #26

kevin: Hi Ana! First of all, I want to tell you that you're the kindest girl on the WTA tour and I really appreciate the fact that you're so close of your fans. I want to ask you what do you do during the travels in airplane especially if they are long and I wanna know if it's difficult with the jet lag especially the day after for the training? Thanks for the answers, take care!! Kevin
Ana: Thanks for the compliment. It can be difficult with jetlag. If it’s been a long trip I usually don’t practice the day I arrive, because I am tired. To pass the time on a plane I do the same as everyone else – I read or watch the movie. But one time I actually went into the cockpit during the flight! The pilot invited me, it was fun.

Sarah: Hey Ana, I was wondering what is that ying yang thing on your racquet?
Ana: It is a vibration dampener. I have a few different ones that Wilson gave me.

Image: Do you also play mixed-doubles Ana? It would be nice to see you play say with Novak, don't you think? In case you are wondering why the question, I think it will be good practice to receive and return to mixed shots. Don't you???
Ana: I agree, playing mixed doubles can help with the return of serve and volleys, but there is only mixed doubles at Grand Slams. I played with Novak at the Australian Open this year. I am sure we will play again sometime in the future.

Evan: Hey Ana, this question is not related to tennis, but what is your favorite football club?
Ana: I’m not a fan of football. But a lot of my family are – my uncle is actually a football coach. So I have to say that I support Partizan Belgrade!

Leigh Murray: Ana, first of all I would just like to say that you are my favorite tennis player and I admire you a lot. I play tennis myself and I would like to consider myself pretty good, the only thing that I really struggle with is my serve, and that is supposed to be the strongest part of a persons game. I was just wondering if you had any advice for me to improve my serving. I would appreciate so much hearing back from you. good luck in your upcoming tournaments!
Ana: Thanks for your support. I shouldn't give advice about serving without seeing you play. The serve is quite a personal stroke, so you need to decide which action is best for you. Maybe a coach can help. What I can say is that once you have decided on your technique, be patient and stick to it, because when you make changes to your service motion it usually takes time to see the benefits. One general thing I can say is that having positive thoughts when you are serving can help.